Woman displaced by deadly Westbury apartment fire can't find new home, living out of car

Editor's note: Contact7 seeks out audience tips and feedback to help people in need, resolve problems and hold the powerful accountable. If you know of a community need our call center could address, or have a story idea for our investigative team to pursue, please email us at contact7@thedenverchannel.com
or call (720) 462-7777. Find more Contact7 stories here
.

WESTMINSTER, Colo. -- Dozens of people displaced by a deadly apartment fire
will get some of their belongings back but some are still trying to find a new place to call home.

Beginning next week, former tenants of the Westbury Apartments will have the chance to retrieve those items depending on which unit they were in. A letter to residents said that consultants have inspected the building to determine what can be saved and where it is safe to enter.

Due to extensive fire damage, property management has detailed the units where personal property can be picked up by a moving company and other units where there will be limited availability to retrieve anything.

According to the letter, those items will be available between October 1 and 12 during the weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Demolition of the building will begin shortly after any belongings are picked up.

Former tenant, Lisa Maestas, is grateful for the opportunity to get some of her most precious things back but she is still struggling. Maestas is living out of her car and staying in motels when she can afford it.

"I was finally getting established after being homeless with my son and now it’s been eight years and it’s just like I’m back where I started from, you know, being homeless again without an apartment, (with) nowhere to stay," said Maestas.

On top of everything she's been through, Maestas lost her son to multiple sclerosis. All of the mementos and pictures she saved to remember her son are still in the apartment.

"He was my only son and we’ve been like two peas in pod, just he and I since I became a mother so it’s been really hard to be without his stuff cause that’s all I had," said Maestas.

She's been searching for a new apartment but has been unable to find somewhere without a waitlist. Maestas said she put in an application for a new apartment at the Westbury but management turned her down and wouldn't explain why. Denver7 has reached out to ConAm Managment Corporation, the company that owns the Westbury Apartments.

"I'm hoping I find something soon," said Maestas.

Copyright 2018 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.